Certain subterranean formations that include hydrocarbon fluids may require stimulation prior to production of the hydrocarbon fluids therefrom. This stimulation may take a variety of forms, an illustrative, non-exclusive example of which is hydraulic fracturing. In hydraulic fracturing, a portion of the subterranean formation may be pressurized above a fracture pressure thereof, which may facilitate the generation of fractures within the subterranean formation. These fractures may increase a fluid permeability of the subterranean formation and/or may function as a fluid conduit that may convey the hydrocarbon fluids from the subterranean formation into a hydrocarbon well that extends within the subterranean formation.
In certain subterranean formations, the generated fractures may retract, shrink, and/or collapse when the pressure within the subterranean formation is decreased, and it may be desirable to restrict and/or prevent this collapse. This may be accomplished by locating a proppant within the fractures. The proppant may provide a porous medium through which the hydrocarbon fluids may flow while also preventing collapse of the fractures.
The proppant may be flowed into the fractures as a proppant slurry stream via the hydrocarbon well. The proppant slurry stream may include the proppant, which is a particulate and/or other solid, and a fluid, such as water and/or other liquid. Generally, the proppant slurry stream flows from the hydrocarbon well into the fractures via one or more openings that may be present within a casing string that extends within the hydrocarbon well and/or within a wellbore thereof. These openings may include and/or be orifices and/or perforations that may be present within the casing string prior to the casing string being located within the subterranean formation and/or that may be formed within the casing string subsequent to the casing string being located within the subterranean formation.
If one or more of these openings is restricted, blocked, and/or occluded during flow of the proppant slurry stream through the hydrocarbon well, the proppant may collect within the hydrocarbon well and/or within a casing conduit that is defined by the casing string, generating a “screenout” event. Such a screenout event may be costly and/or time-consuming to overcome, as removal of the proppant from the casing conduit may require significant operational resources. Thus, it may be desirable to prevent occurrence of the screenout event and/or respond to occurrence of the screenout event in a more efficient manner. The time and/or expense to overcome a screenout event may be increased when the screenout event prevents flow of fluid through a horizontal portion of the casing conduit to the subterranean formation if the casing conduit does not include a mechanism for enabling, or re-establishing, this fluid flow to the subterranean formation. Thus, there exists a need for remotely actuated screenout relief valves and/or for systems and methods including the same.